U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr., center, speaks as FBI Assistant Director in Charge Bill Lewis stands at the podium on Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, during a Los Angeles press conference to announce charges against State Sen. Ron Calderon and his brother Tom that include mail fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and fraud related to health care. (Photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles Daily News)

For decades, he commanded a political dynasty that lorded over Sacramento, East Los Angeles and the red carpet winding through Tinseltown.

But powerful state Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, fell in an onslaught of federal political corruption and health care fraud charges Friday in what may turn out to be the biggest legislative scandal in a quarter-century. It involves what authorities described as the largest medical fraud case in California history.

State lawmakers called for his resignation, saying that “it is in the best interest of the people and the Senate.”

“At a minimum, he should take a complete leave of absence until the criminal proceedings are finished. If he does not resign, or take that leave of absence voluntarily, the Senate will seek to suspend him,” state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. announced charges from bribery to money laundering outlined in a 24-count grand jury indictment against Calderon and his older brother, former state Assemblyman Thomas Calderon, during a noontime announcement in Los Angeles.

“Holding elected office means accepting the public trust — and the vast majority of officeholders do so with dignity, honor and the well-being of their constituents,” Birotte told reporters. “When you selfishly line your pockets, it’s up to us to take steps to hold these individuals accountable.”

The 28-page indictment accuses Ron Calderon of soliciting and accepting $100,000 in cash bribes from Long Beach to Hollywood, in addition to getting a raft of plane trips, gourmet meals and golf resort junkets in exchange for championing laws favorable to those who paid him and fighting laws that could do them harm.

He was charged with mail, wire and honest services fraud, plus bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and aiding in the filing of false tax returns in schemes that involved benefiting his two adult children.

If convicted on all charges, the 56-year-old lawmaker would face up to 396 years in federal prison.

His brother Thomas was charged with money laundering and conspiracy and seven counts of money laundering. If convicted, he could serve up to 160 years.

Tom Calderon, 59, also of Montebello, surrendered to law enforcement officials Friday morning and was arraigned at U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He pleaded not guilty. Trial was set for April 15.

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Ron Calderon was traveling and was expected to surrender Monday, officials said. His arraignment is expected Monday afternoon.

The Calderons’ indictment may be the largest alleged political corruption scheme in Sacramento since the conviction of three lawmakers in the infamous “Shrimpscam” sting 25 years ago, in which a dozen officials took bribes in exchange for favorable legislation.

Rumors of charges had been circulating against the powerful Democrat since Al Jazeera revealed last fall that former assemblyman turned state senator had allegedly accepted $60,000 in bribes during an FBI sting. Calderon declined to comment on any of the accusations spelled out in a 124-page federal affidavit.

For years the senator from suburban East Los Angeles earned a reputation for high-flying on the taxpayers’ dime and being loose with his campaign cash.

He’d gone on lavish junkets to Cuba, posh trips to Las Vegas and enjoyed luxe golf links, restaurants and hotels. When choosing a state car, Calderon opted for the most expensive choice: a $54,830 Cadillac. As member of the state film commission, he was close to the glamour of Hollywood.

But the tale of his fall from power is sordid enough for a Hollywood script.

The Calderon political family dynasty stretches back more than three decades, from the Montebello school board to four legislators who traded seats in Sacramento while controlling powerful state legislative committees.

There’s brother Charles, a former assemblyman and senator from Whittier, the first Latino attorney elected in Sacramento. There’s his son Ian, a 28-year-old former surfing champion now serving as a Democratic assemblyman for the City of Industry.

And there’s Ron and Tom, now under a cloud of federal corruption charges for allegedly scheming to be paid to play.

The indictment filed this week alleges two bribery schemes that ended in May 2013. One involved a Long Beach hospital executive who allegedly paid off Calderon to support a law that would continue a long and lucrative health care fraud. The other involved FBI agents posing as independent Hollywood moviemakers who allegedly paid the gray-haired senator to support legislation expanding tax credits for the film industry.

In the first scheme, Ron Calderon allegedly took $30,000 in bribes from Michael Drobot, the onetime owner of Pacific Hospital, to preserve a so-called “spinal pass-through law.”

The Long Beach hospital had been a major provider of spinal surgeries paid for by workers’ compensation funds. While state law allowed the hospital to charge health insurance companies the full cost it paid for medical hardware used during the spinal surgeries, Drobot admitted in another case Friday that his hospital had exploited the law.

He used hardware his companies bought at highly inflated prices, then passed on the cost to the insurance companies. Calderon, after allegedly accepting the bribe, then defended the spinal pass-through loophole.

The indictment alleges Calderon accepted lavish dinners, golf excursions and plane trips on Drobot’s dime, in addition to urging benefits for his family. Drobot allegedly bribed the senator by hiring his college-age son for $10,000 a summer for three years for work in which he appeared for roughly 15 days.

Drobot agreed Friday to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and paying illegal kickbacks. Drobot will be arraigned March 31 for taking part in an insurance fraud of $500 million, the largest case ever. In his plea agreement, he admitted to paying bribes to Calderon, prosecutors said.

In the second bribery scheme, Calderon allegedly took money from an undercover FBI agent posing as the owner of an independent movie studio. The fake studio sought the senator’s help in promoting a bill that would expand film tax credits.

Calderon then allegedly lobbied other senators to discuss the benefits of a tax credit bill to benefit the producer, while causing legislation to be introduced in the Senate.

Again, Calderon then sought bribes that would benefit his family, prosecutors said.

He then agreed to support the bill in exchange for the studio hiring his daughter at a salary of $3,000 a month for work that she wouldn’t perform, according to the indictment. The indictment says that Calderon also demanded $5,000 for his son’s college tuition and $25,000 for Californians for Diversity, a nonprofit political group operated by his brother Tom.

Both Calderons face money laundering charges for allegedly funneling bribe money through the political group and into Tom Calderon’s consulting firm.

Tom Calderon’s attorney, Shepard Kopp, said the former legislator categorically denies all charges. “If you look at the charges, they’re pretty thin,” he said of the federal case. “He didn’t have any knowledge that there were any improper, concealed financial transactions.”

Prosecutors lauded an intense investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation in Los Angeles.

“This investigation was very complex, time-consuming and required patience on the part of the investigators. I’m proud of their diligence and dedication,” said Bill Lewis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “The Calderons victimized each and every one of us. The charges allege the defendants created influence for cash.